offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.

16 Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.

17¶ And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.

18 And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.

19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and Hezekiah his son reigned in

his stead.

(1) Heb. Eloth.

(2) Heb. Tilgath-pileser, 1 Chron. v. 26; and 2 Chron. xxviii. 20, Tilgath-pilneser. (3) Heb. Dammesek. (4) Heb. which were his.

WE have here some relation of the wicked reign of Ahaz, the son of Jotham, king of Judah. He was young when he began to reign, and his reign was short; but he did much wickedness in a few years. Instead of walking in the way of David, he imitated the kings of Israel. Yea, he made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel; besides which, he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree (v. 1—3). What astonishing wickedness do we here behold! How greatly must the Lord God of Israel have been provoked by such crimes as these! Oh! how sad it is, when we see young persons soon taking an evil course! When we see those who have had many religious advantages departing from the right way, and imitating the worst practices of the ungodly around them! and, alas! how often is this the case! Possibly there might have been some defect in their religious instruction; but that would be no excuse for their sins. The distinction is plainly marked in the sacred record.

Jotham, the father of Ahaz, did that which was right in the sight of the Lord; but he did, also, according to all that Uzziah, his father, had done. He did according to the actions of his father Amaziah; and he did according to what his father had done, and his obedience was partial. That was the bitter root. There was a mixture of right and wrong throughout. The good was defective; the evil prevalent. During several reigns of the kings of Judah, this sort of partial or defective obedience in them that did right prevailed; the lamentable consequences of which now more fully appeared. Where things are not right, the natural tendency is from bad to worse. Matters never continue, in such cases, at a stay. The progress of sin is always downhill; and the farther the descent, the greater is the rapidity of the motion that is made. So we see it here; and so have we often seen it in others. Such is the general result of a partial mind, and an unsound heart, in the ways of God. After awhile, all restraint is thrown aside; and full scope is given to the sad workings which have long been fostered within.

But the course of Ahaz ends not here. It was not long before he came into trouble. God stirred up against him the king of Syria, whom he was unable to resist; and to escape from his power, he purchased the aid of the king of Assyria. Having cast off all reliance on the Lord, he looks to man for help; but "cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." Surely this ought to be a loud lesson to all, to beware of imitating such a course, lest you provoke the Lord to your ruin. (Jer. xvii. 5, 6.)

Still the crowning point of his iniquity remains yet to be seen. Going to Damascus to meet his new ally, he saw there an altar which struck his fancy; and he caused one like it to be erected, and for the same purpose, in the house of the Lord. The altar of burnt offering he put aside; then he put this new altar in its place; ordained this for the use of the people, and then pretended to reserve the large altar for his own private devotions. And the priest was wicked enough to conform to these impious directions, and obey this wicked order (v. 10-16). Thus he

supplanted the Lord's instituted worship by a new invention of a specious and idolatrous system, which put aside God's appointments altogether. Was not this to take away "the key of knowledge" from the people? Was not this like the conduct of those who "entered not in themselves," and who "hindered those" who wished to do SO ? Is not this too often still done, in a gospel sense, to this day? If you take away the atonement of Christ as the sinner's life, and the way of access to God, do you not leave him without hope or mercy? It matters not what you put in the place of that great doctrine. The more specious it may be, the more fatal will it prove. It is, in effect, doing every thing for the ruin of men's souls. And when those who are high in dignity and station, as in the instance before us, act in this manner, the sin and danger become so much the greater; and the judgment will be according to the deed. Oh! let all beware of doing any thing like this. Never let go Christ, whoever may tempt you to do so. Christ must be always all your salvation and all your desire.

CHAPTER XVII.

1 Hoshea's wicked reign. 3 Being subdued by Shalmaneser he conspireth against him with So king of Egypt. 5 Samaria for their sins is captivated. 24 The strange nations, which were transplanted in Samaria, being plagued with lions, make a mixture of religions.

IN the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began 'Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.

3¶ Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him 3 presents.

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4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

5 Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.

6¶ In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

8 And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

10 And they set them up 'images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:

11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:

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12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.

15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

19 Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;

23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

24 ¶ And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.

26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.

28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.

30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

32 So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

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33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.

34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;

35 With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:

36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.

37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.

38 And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.

39 But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

40 Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.

41 So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

come. All wickedness is wicked; and all sin is sinful in the sight of God. And as one sin, so the least sin, can as certainly destroy a nation, as ruin a soul. They who take refuge under comparative guilt, are no more wise, than they are who do so under comparative good. In estimating your state and character before God, the question is not, whether you have done so wickedly as others; but whether you are a sinner at all. That point settles your case, shews you are guilty, and ought to lead you to flee to Christ for safety. A large leak in a vessel may sink it sooner; but the smallest, let alone, will as certainly do so, in the course of time. Hoshea, though not so wicked as many before him, was a wicked man notwithstanding. His sins filled up the measure which was nearly full before; and on his head the vengeance fell, as well as on the nation at large.

Let us observe this captivity. Hoshea being restless in his subdued state, and forming a conspiracy to cast off the yoke, the king of Assyria took him and his people, and carried them away captive into distant lands, bringing other people to supply their place in Samaria. What was the cause of this visitation? What led to this captivity? It was their sins. They forsook the Lord; they provoked him to anger, and he cast them off. Read over the contents of this chapter, and see whether the Lord, in thus casting them off, was not righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. When you are told that they sinned against the Lord their God, and feared other gods; that they walked in the statutes of the heathen, and in their own ways; that they did secretly those things which were not right against the Lord their God; that they built them high places in all their cities, and set up their images and groves on every high hill, and under every green tree; that there they did as the heathen, and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger; that when the Lord warned them of their evil ways, they would not hear, but hardened their hearts, and rejected his statutes, can you wonder at the result? And can you wonder, if the Lord cast away other nations, and other people, when they provoke him in a similar manner?

Or can you

wonder at the far more terrible doom of all ungodly sinners hereafter, when the wicked will be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, if you only call to mind. how they have provoked his displeasure, abused his patience, disregarded his word, slighted his mercy, rejected his dear Son, and despised the gospel of his salvation? Will not that be a righteous sentence when he shall say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels?" Let the righteous judgment of God, whether on nations or individuals, whether on body or soul, or both, whether in this world or the next, whether for time or eternity, be firmly fixed in your heart; for it is all right, holy, just, and good. This truth the last day will fully declare, if not before. Even now, if we could but see all that God knows concerning the wickedness of men, the wonder would be, not that God visits nations and individuals in the manner he sometimes does; but that those displays of his anger are not far more dreadful than they really are. Let this, too, be thought of in time. Let sinners flee from the wrath to come. Let them seek the Lord now, and walk in his ways, if they would escape that end.

CHAPTER XVIII.

1 Hezekiah's good reign. 4 He destroyeth idolatry, and prospereth. 9 Samaria is carried captive for their sins. 13 Sennacherib invading Judah is pacified by a tribute. 17 Rab-shakeh, sent by Sennacherib again, revileth Hezekiah, and by blasphemous persuasions soliciteth the people

to revolt.

NOW

OW it came to pass in the third of year Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.

3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.

4¶ He removed the high places, and brake the 'images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it 2 Nehushtan.

5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among

all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.

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6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

7 And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth; and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

8 He smote the Philistines, even unto 'Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

9 ¶ And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.

10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:

12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.

13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did 'Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.

14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house.

16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah, with a 'great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field.

18 And when they had called to the king,

there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

19 And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

20 Thou 'sayest, (but they are but 10 vain words,) "I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

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21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the LORD our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give 13 pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen ?

25 Am I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rab-shakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.

27 But Rab-shakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink 14their own piss with you?

28 Then Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:

29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand :

30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.